Sickle shield



Aug. 18, 1936.

E. E. REEVER SICKLE SHIELD Filed OCh. 15, 1934 W :ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES eATENr OFFIQE This invention relates to sickle shields and has as one of its objects to provide a shield structure that is adapted to conform to a standard outside shoe of an implement intended to cut grain, or

' the like, as a mower, binder, header, or other similar implement.

Another object of the invention is to provide sickle shield structure that will prevent clogging of the sickle and thus permit it to operate with less power, and to do faster work, and also prevent the bunching of straw about the shoe whereby to drag along the ground adding resistance to traction and by contacting any obstruction, that the shoe would otherwise pass over, bend or possibly break the sickle.

With these and other objects in view reference is now had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a perspective view of the shield, substantially full size;

Fig. 2 is a plan View (reduced) of a fragment of a sickle showing the shield installed;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of an outside shoe showing the shield in place;

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the shoe and shield taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 4 taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 4 taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of a fragment of the shoe showing the assembly aperture, with the beam and sickle removed.

Having reference to the drawing, like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views and the numeral I refers to a sickle which consists of a sickle bar 2 to which knives 3 are attached by rivets 4, the heads 5 of the rivets being placed on the under side of the sickle bar with the top of the rivet being flush with the top of the knives 3.

The sickle I is mounted for sliding or reciprocatory movement on a beam 6 and is supported operatively thereon by fingers l which extend beneath the sickle bar for securement to the beam by means of beam bolts, the nuts 8 only of which are shown, in the usual manner of such assembly and construction.

The outer end of the beam 6 is secured in. and is supported, when the implement is in use, by a shoe 9 to which it is attached, usually by the two bolts which will be termed a saddle bolt and a beam bolt, represented as at I and H respectively, the beam being held in perpendicular re lation to the shoe by a saddle (to be explained) formed in the shoe for the purpose, securement being by the said bolts Ill and H above mentioned.

The shoe?! consists in general of a substantially vertical plate I2, strengthened in the usual manner by ribs 1 3 disposed on its outer face, and these ribsare continued to provide a rib it between whichand the bottom part l of theshoe is provided an assembly aperture l6.

The purpose of this assembly aperture I5 is to provide for assembling the sickle in the implement (not shown), the sickle being slidably insertedtherein into place for its proper function. Thesaddle ll therein is of channel section, and formed integral with the shoe, and includes the bottom portion, forming a seat for the beam 6,

height as the top of the'beam 6, for a purpose to be explained.

Forward of the raised front l9 there is also provided a raised block 29 upon which is suitably secured a stationary knife 2|, and with relation to the height of the raised front [9 its height is such that the sickle knives 3 will operate in cutting contact with the stationary knife in the cutting of the grain.

Between the raised front l9 and the raised block 29 a sufficient space is provided to permit the free passage of the rivet heads 5 during the reciprocation of the sickle bar 2.

Ahead. of the block 2% and forming the front boundaryof said aperture I5 is a laterally disposed brace 22 integral with the bottom l5 of the shoe, and a vertically positioned aperture (shown dotted in Fig. Band in the sectional view in Fig. 4) is provided ahead of this brace, the brace supporting the bottom of the shoe against the weakening thereof which would otherwise be caused by the said aperture 23.

A runner 24 is positioned below and parallel with the bottom of the shoe and has its forward end 25 narrowed transversely to enter this aperture 23, and the narrowed forward end 25 is formed substantially hook shape to secure the runner at its forward end and over a raised portion 26 of the shoe, in the usual manner of such construction and assembly, and, by a clip 21 at its rear end as shown in Fig, 3, for adjustable securement thereof.

By referring to Fig. 4 it will be noted that the front end 25 of the runner 24 does not contact the vertical plate l2 of the shoe 9 and on the contrary that a space, indicated as at 2B, exists begage the' said rib I4 that forms the upper part.

of the aperture I6, as shown in Figs. 5 and .6.

The forward end 33 of the shieldais left flat to conform to the vertical plate I! "at itspoint of contacttherewith and this end 33 is also provided with a notch 34 on its lower side by which it may rest securely on the said laterally disposed brace 22, and it is also enlarged in vertical dimensions that its upper edge 35 may, by'itscontact with the top rib 36 of the shoe be secure against vertical displacement, and -the -said end 33 is further projected to enter the above mentioned space 28 between the forward end 25 of the runner :24 and ".the said plate l-liffortsecurement therein. a

A bolt-hole 31 ispr'ovided in 7the'basetplate30 V of the shieldand'is positioned so that whenithe shield is assembled into place the originaltsaddle bolt l0 will secure the plate 30 rigi'dly in place in contact with the beam'i, whence, with its front end secured asabovadescribed, and with the" engagement of the rib lfi'by' the fsemi-roll 32, the shield 29 will-be rigidly'secured opposite the aperture. r It is now' obvious that with the assembl-y aperture covered by the vertical back il of the shield '29 and with its base plate'3'0 resting-on the said beam '6, and with the sickleknives3 at the same height (or on a level with) the beam, thatno straw can enter this assembly apertureand hence that there can be nothing wedged therinto that will cause friction therein unduly. V

For use the saddle bolt nut is removed and the shield base is then inserted into the assembly orifice from the outside of the shoe, whenupon releasing the adjusting means ZP'and propernianipulation of the runner 'the front end of, the shield will be secured when the semi-roll Will'engage the rib as intended. w

The runner is then secured back into "place, the saddle nut then returned on the-saddle belt that is inserted through the said 'bolt hole, when the shield will "becomepositiveiy secured. Following this assembly-cutting operations can be started and'as the grain is 'cut'the grain adjacent the shoe must pass rearwardgpassingon beyond the assembly aperture, without "any of the straw being drawn in andthrough this "aperture by. the reciprocating 'movemen't of the sickle bar.

. Byreferring to Fig.2 it willbe notedthat the plate of the shoe draws inward "at'its rear'en'd, and that the point thereof extends outward. This is called the ffgather ofthe sh'oeand functions to draw an excess/amount of straw between the finger adjacent the shoeand the shoe itself, normally causing additional labor of the implement atthis point, .then' with the added resistance. of the grain packing in the assembly aperture, the pack will wedge therein "so :severely "at 7 times that the implement mustbe 'stopped'and the aperture cleaned with much consequent loss of time.

With the shield in place, and byactual'test, the V implement runs easienandwith no bunches of straw woven therein there isnoiliability of breaking the sickle by dragging and catching en uneven parts of the ground,.stones or the like.

I claim:

1. In a sickle shield structure, the combination with a shoe having a ribbed vertical plate and a runner adjustably attached tothe lower edge of said plate, a rib, a saddle, having a raised back, a sickle guide, a raised knife block, carrying a stationary knife, and a lateral brace, all formed integral with said vertical plate, and disposed and arranged to provide an assembly aperture therein adapted to receive'and contain .a beam for rigid securement in said saddle, and a sickle mounted for reciprocatory movement against said beam, guided by said sickle guide, and in cooperable relation with said stationary knife, of a shield structure consisting of a base plate adapt- 15 ed forsecurement to said beam, and positioned to cover said sickle, adjacent said vertical plate,

:and'provided with a vertical back positioned perpendicular to said base plate, said back having a front end disposed and adapted for the secure- 20 mentof said back in contact with sa-id'vertical plate by said runner, and positioned to prevent strawpassing'through said aperture. V

2. 'In a sickle shield structure, the combination with a shoe-having. a ribbed vertical :plate, .a top 25 rib, and a bottom part, and provided witha'runner a hook adapted :to adjustably'rand removablyfsecure the runner to :said bottomipart, a rib, :a v:sa'ddle, having a raised back, a sickle guide, is raised knifezblo'ck, carrying a stationary 30 knife, .and a lateral brace. all formed integral with said vertical plate, and disposed 'and'arranged Lto provide an assembly aperture therewith, in said plate, and adapted to receive tand contain a'beam, for rigid securement in'saidisaddleyby a "saddle bolt, anda sickle mounted for reciprocatory movement against said beam,

guided by said sickle guide, and in cooperable relation with said stationary knife,gof a shield structure consisting of a tapered "base plate adapted for securementto said beam, andhaving its taper dispose'd to diminish'at the shoe, and disposed to extend "through said aperture, and provided with a verticalback positionedperpendicular to said base plate, said back'havi-n'g a front end disposed-and adaptedfor securement of said back with said vertical plate, by the'hook (if said runner and "the'said top rib, and positioned to prevent straw passing through said aperture. 3. In'asick1e shield structure, the combination with a shoe having a ribbed vertical plate, and a bottom part, andprovided with a runner adjirsta'lble andwemovably attached to said bottom part, a rib, a saddle, having a raised back, a sickle guidey'a raised knife block, carrying a stationary knife, anda lateral'brace, all formed integral with'said vertical plate, and disposed and arranged to provide an assembly aperture therein adapted'toreceive and contain a beam, for rigid securement in said saddle, by a saddle boltyan'd .60 a sickle "mounted for reciprocatory movement against said beam, guided by said sickle guide, and in cooperable relation with said stationary knife,'o'f a shield structure consisting of a tapered base pla'ce'adapted for securement to said-beam, 5 'andpositioned to cover said sickle, adjacent'said vertical plate, and having its taper "disposed to diminish at the shoe, and provided with a vertica-l back positioned perpendicular to said base platesaid ba'ck having a'frontend'disposed and 7,0 adaptedforsecurement-of the said back and said. vertical plate by said runner, and positionedto prevent straw passing through a said aperture.

ELIJAH E. .REEVER. 

